Multiple lumen assembly for use in endoscopes or other medical devices

ABSTRACT

An endoscope or other medical device includes a number of lumens positioned in an outer shaft. The lumens are formed as a multiple lumen assembly. In one embodiment, individual lumens are connected to each other with a sheet or webbing material. The lumen assembly is rolled or folded along its length for incorporation into the outer shaft of the medical device. The sheet or webbing material may be notched or perforated to facilitate folding the lumen assembly and/or separating individual lumens from the lumen assembly.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to medical devices, and in particular to endoscopes or other devices for inserting or retrieving items from a patient's body.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many endoscopes and other elongate medical devices that are designed to be advanced into the body include a shaft with one or more lumens therein. The lumens provide passageways between the distal and proximal ends of the shaft to direct air or water or surgical tools through the device. Alternatively, the lumens may be used to route internal components such as steering wires that selectively orient the distal tip of the device or electrical wires through the device.

One method of creating the lumens in, the device is to insert individual tubes that form the lumens into the shaft. However, in order to keep the diameter of the device as small as possible, there is often little free space in the shaft for the tubes. As such, the tubes may bind or become wedged and difficult to advance through the shaft. Alternatively, the tubes may only fit in the shaft if they are arranged in a certain pattern, which is difficult to maintain as the tubes are incorporated into the shaft. Finally, by constructing the device using individual tubes for the lumens, it is generally necessary to keep a large inventory of tubes of various sizes at the location where such endoscopes or medical devices are assembled.

Given these problems, there is need for a medical device having multiple interior lumens that is more cost effective and easier to manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a medical device such as an endoscope or catheter having an outer shaft and a lumen assembly with a number of individual lumens. Each of the lumens is interconnected such that the lumen assembly can be inserted as a group into the shaft.

In one embodiment, the lumens are formed from a tube having a number of individual passages or lumens formed therein. In another embodiment of the invention, the lumens comprise a series of tubes that are joined by a flexible sheet or web. The web may be continuous between the proximal and distal ends of the lumens. In another embodiment of the invention, the web may include a number of slots, cuts or other discontinuities between the proximal and distal ends.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a number of conventional individual tubes that are placed within a shaft of an endoscope shaft or other medical device to create a number of corresponding lumens;

FIG. 2A illustrates one embodiment of a multiple lumen assembly for use in an endoscope or other medical device in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2B illustrates a lumen extension tube that can be used with the multiple lumen device shown in FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2C illustrates further detail of the multiple lumen assembly shown FIG. 2A;

FIG. 3 illustrates a multiple lumen assembly having lumens held on a flexible strip in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4A illustrates another embodiment of a multiple lumen assembly in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4B illustrates another embodiment of a multiple lumen assembly in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4C illustrates one embodiment of a multiple lumen assembly having slots in a web that joins adjacent lumens in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4D illustrates a multiple lumen assembly having slits in the web joining adjacent lumens in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a multiple lumen assembly having a web made of a different material that is different from the material that forms the lumens, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a multiple lumen assembly including lumens that form the outer sheaths of Bowden cables in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7A illustrates further details of the lumens that form the outer sheaths of Bowden cables;

FIG. 7B illustrates a multiple lumen assembly that is folded for incorporation into a shaft;

FIG. 7C illustrates a multiple lumen assembly that is wrapped around a central working channel lumen; and

FIG. 7D illustrates a working channel and multiple lumen assembly positioned within an exterior shaft in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As indicated above, the present invention is a multiple lumen assembly that can be incorporated into an endoscope shaft or other medical device.

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional method of providing multiple lumens in an endoscope or other medical device. The multiple lumens 50 include a pair of smaller lumens 52, 54 that can be used for such functions as providing coolant to an LED or other light emitting device at the distal end of the endoscope. The coolant is delivered to the LEDs through a lumen 52 and returned to the proximal end of the device through the lumen 54. In addition, the multiple lumens include individual lumens 56 and 58. Lumen 56 may be used to provide a lens wash liquid to the distal tip, while lumen 58 can be used to provide insufflation gas to the distal tip. Each of the lumens 52, 54, 56, 58 may be made of an extruded tube of polymeric material. While such lumens are inexpensive to manufacture, they can be difficult to assemble within a shaft of the endoscope. The lumens may become lodged or kinked during insertion, or the lumens may become misaligned so that they do not fit within the interior of the shaft. Finally, the lumens take up space and limit shaft flexibility.

To overcome the problems associated with having to install individual tubes to create the lumens in the endoscope, the present invention is a multiple lumen assembly whereby individual lumen tubes are joined together for incorporation into an exterior shaft. In one embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2A, the multiple lumen assembly 70 comprises a single tube having a central lumen that is divided to create a number of smaller individual internal lumens 72, 74, 76, 78. The tube is preferably formed by an extrusion process to create the desired number of interior lumens within the tube. The lumen assembly 70 can then be advanced as a whole into an interior lumen of a surrounding shaft. Each of the lumens 72, 74, 76, 78 provides a passage for the delivery of materials, such as gases, liquids or tools through the endoscope.

In some instances, it is necessary to connect the individual lumens contained within the lumen assembly to another device such as a heat exchanger, or orifices at a distal end of the endoscope, etc. In that case, it may be necessary to employ a lumen extension such as that shown in FIG. 2B. Here, a lumen extension 75 includes a length of tubing material 77 and a plug 79. The plug 79 cooperates with the distal end of an individual lumen (e.g., lumen 74) contained within the lumen assembly 70 in order to connect the passageway of the individual lumen to the desired place. The lumen extension 75 allows for the passage of a liquid, air, or other material or device in the medical device.

FIG. 2C shows an additional advantage of an extruded lumen assembly such as the type shown in FIG. 2A. The lumen assembly 70 includes naturally rounded corners 73 within each of the individual lumens 72, 74, 76, 78. The rounded corners aid in preventing objects passed through the lumens from binding. The rounded corners 73 are a convenient by-product of an extruding process.

FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention whereby a multiple lumen assembly 82 includes a number of lumens 84, 86, 88, 90 that are formed of individual tubes. The tubes are formed with or secured to a sheet or strip of material 92. In this embodiment, the individual tubes that form the lumens can be formed separately and assembled into the lumen assembly 82 by securing them to the sheet or strip with an adhesive or the like. Alternatively, the lumens and the strip can be made as a single unit with an extrusion or molding process. Each of the tubes 84-90 is spaced apart on the strip 92 to allow the strip to be folded along its length for incorporation into an outer shaft of the endoscope or medical device.

FIG. 4A illustrates another alternative embodiment of the multiple lumen assembly of the present invention. In this embodiment, a lumen assembly 100 is formed of a number of individual lumens 102, 104, 106, 108, etc., that are joined by a webbing material 110. The individual lumens 102-108 form a ribbon with the webbing material 110 positioned to join each of the adjacent lumens. In one embodiment, the multiple lumen assembly 100 is formed by an extrusion process. Each of the lumens 102-108 may be the same size or a different size, depending upon the intended purpose of the lumen.

FIG. 4B illustrates another embodiment of the multiple lumen assembly shown in FIG. 4A. In this example, the multiple lumen assembly 100B comprises a series of lumens 102, 104, 106, 108 that are joined by a webbing material 110B. The webbing material 110B that joins adjacent lumens includes a pair of opposing notches 112 extending along the length thereof. The notches 112 aid in bending the webbing material such that the lumen assembly 100B can be folded for incorporation into the shaft of an endoscope or other medical device. In addition, the notches 112 aid in allowing the webbing material to be split so that individual lumens can be separated from the lumen assembly. Although the embodiment shown in FIG. 4B illustrates a single pair of notches 112 in the webbing material extending between adjacent lumens, it will be appreciated that additional notches or other flexibility enhancing mechanisms such as folds, etc., could be provided.

FIG. 4C illustrates yet another embodiment of the present invention wherein a lumen assembly 100C includes a number of individual lumens 102, 104, 106, 108 that are joined by a webbing material 110C. In this embodiment, the webbing material 110C includes a number of longitudinally extending slots 114 that are cut through the webbing material to increase the flexibility of the webbing material and allow individual lumens to be separated from the assembly. The slots may be formed with a laser after the lumen assembly is extruded or could be formed by other mechanisms such as with a knife. Although the slots 114 are illustrated as being generally oval in shape, it will be appreciated that the slots or holes could be other shapes, such as circular, rectangle, square, triangular, serpentine, etc.

FIG. 4D illustrates yet another alternative embodiment of a lumen assembly according to the present invention. The lumen assembly includes a number of individual lumens 102, 104, 106, 108 that are joined by a webbing material 110D. In this example, the webbing material 110D includes a number of longitudinally extending cuts 116 that extend entirely or partially through the webbing material. The cuts 116 aid in increasing the flexibility of the webbing material and allow the individual lumens to be separated by peeling individual lumens away from the lumen assembly. The individual lumens can then be connected to their appropriate destination. Furthermore, after the lumens are separated from the lumen assembly, they can be cut to the appropriate length.

FIG. 5 shows yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a multiple lumen assembly 120 comprises individual extruded lumens 122, 124, 126, 128 that are joined by a flexible webbing material 130. In the embodiment shown, the webbing material 130 may have a durometer value which is different from the durometer values of one or more of the individual lumens 122, 124, 126, 128, Furthermore, the durometer values of the individual lumens might not necessarily be the same, depending upon the purpose of the lumen. By making the durometer value of the webbing material 130 softer than the durometer of the individual lumens, the lumen bundle 120 becomes flexible in the longitudinal direction so that it can be folded for incorporation into the shaft of an endoscope or other medical device.

FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention. In this example, a multiple lumen assembly 140 includes a number of lumens 142, 144, 146, and 148 that are designed to function as the outer, thinner, sheath of a Bowden cable and are thicker or more rigid than the other lumens of the assembly. Positioned between the Bowden cable lumens are additional lumens 150, 152, 154, 156, which may be used to supply a cooling liquid or gas to an illumination light source such as one or more LEDs. In addition, the lumens 150-156 may be used to supply insufflation gas or a lens wash liquid to a distal end of the endoscope. Each of the lumens 142-156 is joined by a flexible webbing material 160 that extends between adjacent lumens to join them together into a flexible ribbon. One advantage of the multiple lumen assembly 140 is that the lumens can be arranged in any desired order such that when the lumen assembly is folded or rolled up for incorporation into an outer shaft of an endoscope, the individual lumens retain their orientation as they are advanced into the shaft. The orientation is preferably selected to minimize the amount of space occupied by the lumen assembly.

In one embodiment of the invention, each of the individual lumens is extruded from a single material, However, as shown in FIG. 7A, some of the lumens, such as the Bowden cable lumens 142, 144, 146, 148, may be extruded using two or more materials. For example, the Bowden cable lumens may include an inner layer 164 formed of a lubricious material such as HDPE. The inner layer 164 is covered with an outer layer 166, which may be formed of a different material. The outer layer 166 may also be used to form the webbing material that joins adjacent lumens. The inner layer 164 provides a slippery surface for the Bowden cables such that they do not bind under tension in order to steer the distal tip of an endoscope or medical device in a desired direction.

FIG. 7B illustrates a lumen assembly 140A in a rolled or folded position for incorporation into an endoscope shaft (not shown). As will be appreciated, the free ends between the outer-most lumens 142, 156 of the lumen assembly are brought adjacent each other to facilitate the introduction of the lumens into the shaft. Furthermore, the assembly may be wrapped around an additional central lumen that forms a working channel of a device such as that shown in FIG. 7C. In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 7C, a central lumen 170 extends through the center of the folded lumen assembly 140A. The central lumen 170 may form the working channel of the endoscope or other medical device. Once the lumen bundle 140A is wrapped around the central lumen 170, the combination can be advanced into an outer sheath in order to assemble the endoscope or other medical device.

FIG. 7D illustrates the lumen assembly 140A and the central lumen 170 in position with an outer shaft 180 of an endoscope. Once the lumen assembly 140A and central lumen 170 have been advanced to the distal end of the shaft, the individual lumens can be separated from the ribbon assembly and connected as desired. In addition, individual lumens from the lumen assembly can be trimmed to the appropriate length, as necessary. Alternatively, it may be necessary to attach a lumen extension 190 as shown in FIG. 7C to one or more individual lumens of the lumen assembly in order to connect the lumens to their desired locations. The lumen extension 190 includes a length of flexible tubing and a connector 192 that joins the flexible tubing to a lumen of the lumen assembly.

As will be appreciated, the present invention provides a simplified method for inserting multiple lumens within a medical device in order to both save space and to maintain the orientations of the lumens with respect to each other as they are positioned in an outer shaft. While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be determined from the following claims and equivalents thereof. 

1-21. (canceled)
 22. An apparatus, comprising: a flexible sheet including a plurality of lumens and a webbing material connecting each opposing pair of the plurality of lumens, wherein the webbing material has a flexibility enhancing mechanism that allows the flexible sheet to transition from a planar configuration defining a sheet width to a circular configuration defining a central lumen with a central lumen diameter, and each of the plurality of lumens includes a lumen diameter smaller than the central lumen diameter.
 23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the flexibility enhancing mechanism includes at least one notch.
 24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one notch penetrates less than an entire thickness of the webbing material.
 25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the at least one notch includes a pair of opposing notches.
 26. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the pair of opposing notches allows at least one lumen of the plurality of lumens to be separated from the remainder of the plurality of lumens.
 27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the lumen diameter of each lumen of the plurality of lumens remains constant when the flexible sheet is transitioned into the circular configuration.
 28. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the plurality of lumens and the webbing material are formed of a one-piece construction.
 29. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein at least one lumen of the plurality of lumens is configured to deliver a fluid therethrough.
 30. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein at least two lumens of the plurality of lumens are configured to receive a wire, and the at least two lumens are spaced oppositely of one another when the flexible sheet is transitioned into the circular configuration.
 31. An apparatus having a central longitudinal axis, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of lumens extending in a direction parallel to the central longitudinal axis, each lumen of the plurality of lumens having a lumen diameter; and a webbing material extending between each opposing pair of the plurality of lumens, wherein the plurality of lumens are spaced apart in a direction transverse to the central longitudinal axis and the webbing material has a flexibility enhancing mechanism to allow formation a central lumen having a central lumen diameter greater than the lumen diameter of each of the plurality of lumens.
 32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the flexibility enhancing mechanism includes a plurality of elongated slots extending in a direction parallel to the central longitudinal axis.
 33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the flexibility enhancing mechanism is perforated.
 34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the flexibility enhancing mechanism includes an elongated cut extending in a direction parallel to the central longitudinal axis.
 35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the webbing material has a durometer value that is different from a durometer value of a material that forms the plurality of lumens.
 36. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein at least one lumen of the plurality of lumens is formed by a material that has a durometer value that is different from a durometer value of the webbing material and a durometer value of a material that forms at least one other lumen of the plurality of lumens.
 37. An apparatus comprising: a plurality of lumens; and a webbing material extending between each opposing pair of the plurality of lumens, wherein the webbing material has a flexibility enhancing mechanism configured to form a radial array with the plurality of lumens, the radial array defines a central lumen having a central lumen diameter, and each lumen of the plurality of lumens includes a lumen diameter smaller than the central lumen diameter.
 38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the flexibility enhancing mechanism allows at least one lumen of the plurality of lumens to be separated from the remainder of the plurality of lumens.
 39. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the plurality of lumens include four first lumens that are configured to receive a wire.
 40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the four first lumens are arranged orthogonally in the radial array.
 41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the plurality of lumens includes at least one second lumen located between each of the four first lumens in the radial array. 